Varda, the festival director, says Muslims tend to get depicted in stereotypical ways in film and TV.
“The world changed a lot after 9/11,” he said.
“Muslims started to be portrayed as synonymous with terrorists. It’s one of the associations we think of when we think of Muslims.
“This negative portrayal has a real impact on our community.”
Varda, who founded the charity UK Muslim Film to champion underrepresented talent and voices, has said he rarely sees movies from the Muslim world at film festivals.
He said the festival aimed to spotlight these stories and also help emerging filmmakers.
“It’s about owning our narrative and showcasing beautiful stories from around the world, and also help mainstream audiences be exposed to our cultures and our faith,” he said.
“There’s so much more we have in common than divides us.”
